Greg Abbott hanging frontline workers out to dry

The unconscionable decision by Texas’s homicidal governor to remove the state’s mask mandate will put more and more companies that actually want to protect their workers and their employees in an impossible position, as more Abbott supporters who pick up on his signal refuse to wear masks and in some cases act abusively toward them:
When the coronavirus pandemic hit and restaurant owners faced difficult decisions, the Richards family that owns Picos, a Mexican restaurant in Houston, quickly adapted to continue sharing their Latin cuisine — from selling to-go margarita kits to stationing a mariachi band at the curbside pickup.
This week, after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Tuesday that he would rescind the statewide mask mandate while the vast majority of residents remain unvaccinated, the tough choice to enforce public health guidance fell to business owners, and Picos announced it would continue requiring masks. But, after such a challenging year, the reaction to their decision was disheartening, co-owner Monica Richards said: Several people sent hateful messages through social media and called the restaurant, threatening to report staffers to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“It was just horrific,” Richards said. “People don’t understand unless you’re in our business what it felt like, how hard it was to go through everything we went through during covid. For people to be negative toward us for trying to remain safe, so that this doesn’t continue to happen, just makes zero sense to us.”
Sure, he could have just waited a few weeks until the vaccine is widely available, but Republicans need to show their commitment to “freedom” by subjecting other people to deadly risk.